[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 34 (Monday, February 26, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H1234-H1236]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1700
   STOP, OBSERVE, ASK, AND RESPOND TO HEALTH AND WELLNESS ACT OF 2018

  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 767) to establish the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to 
Health and Wellness Training pilot program to address human trafficking 
in the health care system, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 767

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Stop, Observe, Ask, and 
     Respond to Health and Wellness Act of 2018'' or the ``SOAR to 
     Health and Wellness Act of 2018''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Human trafficking.--The term ``human trafficking'' has 
     the meaning given the term ``severe forms of trafficking in 
     persons'' as defined in section 103 of the Trafficking 
     Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102).
       (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Health and Human Services.

     SEC. 3. PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a program to 
     be known as the Stop,

[[Page H1235]]

     Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training 
     Program or the SOAR to Health and Wellness Training Program 
     (in this Act referred to as the ``Program'') to provide 
     training to health care providers and other related 
     providers, at all levels, on human trafficking in accordance 
     with the purpose described in subsection (c).
       (b) Grants.--The Secretary may carry out the Program 
     through the award of grants to health care sites and health 
     care professional organizations that represent diversity in--
       (1) geography;
       (2) the demographics of the population served;
       (3) the predominant types of human trafficking cases; and
       (4) health care provider profiles.
       (c) Purpose.--The purpose of the Program shall be to train 
     health care providers and other related providers to enable 
     such providers to--
       (1) identify potential human trafficking victims;
       (2) implement proper protocols and procedures for working 
     with law enforcement to report, and facilitate communication 
     with, such victims, in accordance with all applicable 
     Federal, State, local, and tribal requirements, including 
     legal confidentiality requirements for patients and health 
     care providers;
       (3) implement proper protocols and procedures for referring 
     such victims to appropriate health care, social, or victims 
     service agencies or organizations;
       (4) provide such victims care that is--
       (A) coordinated;
       (B) victim centered;
       (C) culturally relevant;
       (D) comprehensive;
       (E) evidence-based;
       (F) gender responsive;
       (G) age-appropriate, with a focus on care for youth; and
       (H) trauma-informed; and
       (5) consider the potential for integrating the training 
     described in paragraphs (1) through (4) with training 
     programs, in effect on the date of enactment of this Act, for 
     victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual 
     assault, stalking, child abuse, child neglect, child 
     maltreatment, and child sexual exploitation.
       (d) Functions.--
       (1) In general.--The functions of the Program shall include 
     the functions of the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to 
     Health and Wellness Training program that was operating on 
     the day before the date of enactment of this Act and the 
     authorized initiatives described in paragraph (2).
       (2) Authorized initiatives.--The authorized initiatives of 
     the Program shall include--
       (A) engaging stakeholders, including victims of human 
     trafficking and any Federal, State, local, or tribal 
     partners, to develop a flexible training module--
       (i) for achieving the purpose described in subsection (c); 
     and
       (ii) that adapts to changing needs, settings, health care 
     providers, and other related providers;
       (B) providing technical assistance for health education 
     programs and health care professional organizations to 
     implement health care protocols, or develop continuing 
     education training materials, that assist in achieving the 
     purpose described in subsection (c);
       (C) facilitating the dissemination of best practices and 
     recommendations as the Secretary determines appropriate; and
       (D) developing a reliable methodology for collecting data, 
     and reporting such data, on the number of human trafficking 
     victims identified and served in health care settings or 
     other related provider settings.

     SEC. 4. DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

       (a) Data Collection.--
       (1) In general.--During each of fiscal years 2018 through 
     2022, the Secretary shall collect data on each of the 
     following:
       (A) The total number of grantees operating under the 
     Program.
       (B) The total number of health care providers and other 
     related providers trained through the Program.
       (2) Initial report.--In addition to the data required to be 
     collected under paragraph (1), for purposes of the initial 
     report to be submitted under subsection (b), the Secretary 
     shall collect data on the total number of facilities and 
     health care professional organizations that were operating 
     under, and the total number of health care providers and 
     other related providers trained through, the Stop, Observe, 
     Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training program that 
     was operating before the establishment under section 3(a) of 
     the Program.
       (b) Reporting.--Not later than 90 days after the first day 
     of each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023, the Secretary 
     shall prepare and submit to Congress a report on the data 
     collected under subsection (a).

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
     Act $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022.

     SEC. 6. CUT-GO COMPLIANCE.

       Subsection (f) of section 319D of the Public Health Service 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 247d-4) is amended by striking ``through 
     2018'' and inserting ``through 2017, and $118,300,000 for 
     fiscal year 2018''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Burgess) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess).


                             General Leave

  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
insert extraneous material into the Record on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 767, the Stop, Observe, 
Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Act of 2018, introduced by our 
colleague, Representative  Steve Cohen from Tennessee.
  This bill will help in the fight against human trafficking. 
Worldwide, nearly 21 million people are victims of human trafficking, 
forced labor, or exploitation. This bipartisan initiative expands and 
further codifies the Department of Health and Human Services' Stop, 
Observe, Ask, and Respond program, which enhances the healthcare 
system's response to human trafficking by requiring the program to 
provide grants to healthcare sites, to work with stakeholders to 
develop flexible training modules, and to provide technical assistance 
to health education programs. This legislation will teach health 
professionals to identify and to respond to victims of human 
trafficking.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 767, the SOAR to Health and 
Wellness Act of 2018. This bill expands the Stop, Observe, Ask, and 
Respond--or SOAR--training program, which provides healthcare 
professionals with training on how to identify and appropriately treat 
victims of human trafficking.
  Nearly 21 million people worldwide are victims of human trafficking, 
forced labor, or sexual exploitation. At some point, many of these 
unidentified victims will come into contact with healthcare 
professionals during their captivity. A doctor's visit or emergency 
department trip can offer a critical point of intervention for victims 
and a brief chance when a victim may be able to detach from 
traffickers.
  This bill will provide the necessary resources for the healthcare 
professionals to spot victims and provide trauma-informed, culturally 
appropriate care once identified. Helping healthcare professionals 
better recognize the signs of trafficking and improve their ability to 
intervene can truly be the difference between life and death.
  I thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) for sponsoring this 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today in support of the 
Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Act, which is 
the acronym SOAR.
  In April of 2016, I worked with the Department of Homeland Security 
to host a Human Trafficking Awareness Training program in Memphis at 
the University of Tennessee. We gathered State and local law 
enforcement, first responders, healthcare workers, faith-based groups, 
and educators to discuss the importance of and strategies to combat 
human trafficking. This event solidified my stance and activated me to 
go forward with the legislation to address the human trafficking that 
is occurring in the United States.
  Shortly after, I was proud to introduce this bipartisan bill along 
with my colleagues: Congressman Kinzinger from Illinois, Congressman 
Cardenas from California, and Congresswoman Wagner from Missouri in the 
House, as well as Senators Heitkamp and Susan Collins in the Senate.
  Human trafficking is the second fastest-growing crime in Tennessee, 
and it is amazing that every 2 minutes someone in the United States is 
entered into human trafficking. Every 2 minutes. In 2016, 8,042 cases 
were reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline,

[[Page H1236]]

with 110 of those occurring in Tennessee. Those are just the cases that 
were reported. Human trafficking remains a hidden crime, and victims 
rarely seek help because of cultural barriers or due to fear of their 
traffickers, law enforcement, or of being deported, because many are 
imported into our country to engage in sex crimes.
  In April 2016, I joined with the Department of Homeland Security in 
hosting our conference in Memphis, and from there came our legislation. 
The SOAR Act directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to 
establish a program to provide training to healthcare providers at all 
levels on human trafficking.
  Trafficking victims often end up in healthcare settings, and because 
traffickers want to maximize profits, victims will not have health 
insurance and will not often follow up on treatment. And pimps and 
johns will beat up the women, and they will end up in a public 
healthcare facility because they don't have insurance.
  Mr. Speaker, 57 percent of trafficking victims report physical 
injuries, and nearly all report having faced either sexual abuse or 
physical violence. These injuries caused a reported 63 percent of 
trafficking victims to go to the emergency room when they are being 
exploited. Many victims also end up with sexually transmitted 
infections, including HIV, and are at high risk of pregnancy. As a 
result, nearly 88 percent of trafficked victims are seen by a 
healthcare provider at some point and, more likely than not, it is in 
an emergency room. So these are the people we seek out most to train 
and see the signs of trafficking to be able to report it to law 
enforcement and help these ladies out of the situation they are in.
  Despite this, out of more than 5,600 hospitals in the country, only a 
handful have a plan for treating patients who are victims of 
trafficking, and over 95 percent of emergency room personnel are not 
trained to identify trafficking victims. As a result, it is estimated 
that only 1 percent of human trafficking victims are identified when 
they seek emergency care.

  We must encourage healthcare professionals to be alert to possible 
instances of human trafficking when victims appear in clinics or 
doctors' offices for needed care, and we must provide them the 
additional training and resources to accomplish this goal.
  I am proud to work on the SOAR to Health and Wellness Act and I urge 
my colleagues to help pass it today. I thank my cosponsors and the 
Republican leadership for scheduling this bill.
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I know how important 
trafficking is for the Chair in his history, and I think the Speaker of 
the House has an interest in this bill, too.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Kinzinger), a valuable member of the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce and, in fact, the vice chairman of the Subcommittee on 
Oversight and Investigations.
  Mr. KINZINGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 767, the 
Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Act. I am a 
proud colead of this important bill with Mr. Cohen from Tennessee, and 
I thank him for his work.
  Mr. Speaker, when someone says ``human trafficking,'' oftentimes we 
view it as a problem far away from our shores that affects people who 
are not us. It is hard to imagine that this modern-day slavery is 
happening over here, hurting the people within our community every day. 
In my home State of Illinois, we have the fifth highest number of 
trafficking cases in this country; and the city of Rockford, in my 
district, is ranked second behind Chicago in human trafficking cases.
  The most important thing we can do to combat this heinous crime is to 
raise awareness. That is what the SOAR to Health and Wellness Act is 
designed to do. This important legislation would expand on a pilot 
program with the Department of Health and Human Services by supporting 
the training of healthcare workers to identify victims and best care 
for them through established protocols and procedures.
  Many times, when trafficking victims come to emergency rooms, 
healthcare professionals may not always spot the signs that their 
patient was a victim of human trafficking. Education is critical in 
combating human trafficking, and our awareness could, in fact, save a 
life.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 767. 
I believe it can have an impact towards identifying cases of human 
trafficking and helping the most vulnerable and at-risk individuals of 
this evil crime.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, this is a worthwhile bill. I urge my 
colleagues to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 767, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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